title: Ayurvedic constitution (prakruti) identifies risk factor of developing Parkinson's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The ancient Indian medical system, Ayurveda, is the oldest scientifically based system of medicine in the world. According to Ayurvedic concepts, there are 3 humors or Doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. The combination of these Doshas in varying degrees leads to one's constitution, referred to as Prakruti. Prakruti determines one's physical, physiologic, and mental character and disease vulnerability. This clinical study was undertaken to determine the constitutional typing of individuals with known idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) compared with that of nonparkinsonian controls. This study sought to validate the ancient observation that persons of Vata Prakruti are at risk for nervous system diseases. PD was used as a test case because the exact cause is not known.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with established PD (n=75) and closely related controls with no known neurologic disease (n=73) were assessed for their Ayurvedic constitution (Prakruti). An Ayurvedic constitutional assessment form and an independent Ayurvedic clinical assessment were used in the patients and controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total mean score (±standard deviation) for Vata was 11.0±3.9 in patients with PD and 6.9±3.0 in controls. This finding was significant (p<0.0001), indicating that the incidence of PD is highest in those with Vata Prakruti. The incidence of PD was higher in men than in women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge gained from this study may be helpful in identifying the vulnerable population, delaying the onset of symptoms, or slowing disease progression or development of treatment-related complications by keeping Vata in balance through anti-Vata diet and lifestyle changes as prescribed in Ayurveda.
authors.affiliation: Plummer Movement Disorders Center, Department of Neurology, Scott & White Clinic/The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple, TX, USA. balavmanyam@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Bala V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Manyam
authors.forename: Abhimanyu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001824:Body Constitution; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008515:Medicine, Ayurvedic; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013781:Texas